Rec and Sports

1985 Ford Bronco Ii Xlt

“The ugly duckling. It may be rusty, but it runs better than most newer cars” What things have gone wrong with the car? Headliner falling down.

Driver seat a little twisted and ripped.

Engine valve noise, probably from driving 388,000 KMs.

Fenders and rear quarters rusted as well as other rust spots and peeling paint.

Speakers blown, but still work OK.

Valve cover leak and minor power steering hose leak.

General comments? Bought the truck for $500 and drove it 143 KMs home, and was surprised at how well it was running, and how well it rode for being a rusted cheap Bronco II.

The body is ugly brown on tan with a shade of rust, but still solid. Most of it is just surface rust.

4X4 works great, the manual transmission shifts good, and the clutch seems to be fine.

Heat works amazingly well, and surprisingly so does the A/C.

Handles bumps really well, and you do feel them, but you feel them in most true 44 offroad vehicles.

Carburated engine starts up quick, like as soon as the key hits the start position, it’s running, and very quiet and smooth, you can barely hear or feel the engine running except for the minor valve tick.

I definitely need to put in a tachometer in it so I know it’s running, because it’s so quiet that every time you get to a stop sign or traffic lights and push the clutch in, everything is quiet and it seems like the engine stalled, but it’s still running quiet and smooth.

I am very happy with this vehicle so far, even though it has 388,000 KMs. I would have no problem fixing up the body a little bit to get rid of most of the rust, and if I ever had to replace the engine or transmission, I would, but the way it seems right now, I almost think it would last another 300,000 KMs.

Check Cristian Truers’s new auto cars buying guide for more information, or read his good auto cars tips.